Relay



March 6, 1928.

T. S. CASNER RELAY Filed April 25,. 1925 FHL mum

Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THADDEUS STEPHENS CASNER, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO RADIO ELECTRIC CLOCK CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

RELAY; i

This invention relates to electrical relays, and relates more particularly to relays of high sensitivity which are adapted to. be operated by relatively weak electrical impulses to open and close a local circuit of considerable magnitude.

In certain types of mechanism it is highly desirable to have a relay which may be used with. a radio receiving set to open and close a local circuit in accordance with signals received from av distant transmitting station. In my co-pending application, Serial No. @5262, filed March 24, 1921, an apparatus is disclosed for automatically setting the hands of a clock in accordance with radio telegraph time signals received, for example, from the Government station at Arlington, Virginia. This apparatus includes an electro-nicchauical mechanism for adjusting the clock hands, a radioreceiving set, and: a relay operat-ively connecting these two sections of the apparatus. The relay herein disclosed is particularly applicable for use in such combination, but is not limited in this respect, being of general application and capable of being used in all circumstances where it is desirable to have a relay which becomes operative upon. the receipt of very faint current impulses.

The electrical impulses set up in the an tenna circuit of a receiving station by the Hertzian waves emanating from a transmitting station, are very weak, and although greatly amplified by the receiving apparatus, the resulting current in the telephone circuit of the average radio receiver is still of a low order of magnitude, and is not sufficiently strong to operate a relay of any of the ordinary types.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a relay adapted to beoperated by weak electrical impulses to open and close a local circuit.

A further object of my invention is to provide a relay adapted to be used in connection with a radio receiving set to open and close a local circuit in accordance with signals received from a distant transmitting station.

Other' objects and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a relay according to my invention; and i Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same. Referring more particularly to the draw ings, in which like reference characters denote like parts throughoutthe several views thereof, 10 denotes a base or support of insulating material upon which is mounted a telephone receiver 11 by means of a bracket 12. The bracket 12 is secured to the base 10 and has a vertical portion to which is fastened the back of the telephone receiver 11. The upper part of thebracket is then bent forwardly and downwardly so as to terminate in front of the diaphragm of the receiver. This end of the bracket 12 isprovided with a slot 13 which forms a bearing for the knife edge of a lever 14. The bracket 12 may be cut out of heavy sheet metal and. bent to the shape shown. The telephone receiver is of Well-known type, and may be, for example, a Brandes receiver.

The lever 14 is made of bamboo or other light material, and is pivoted at 15 to an extension 16 secured to the center of the diaphragm 17 of the receiver 11. The lower end of the lever 14 projects between two leaf springs or blades 18 which are secured to the base 10 and carry contacts 19. These contacts may be utilized to control a local circuit.

The telephone receiver 11 is connected to a radio receiving set of any suitable or desired type in the usual manner. Upon passage of radio frequency electrical impulses through the circuit to which the receiver is connected, the diaphragm 17 will be caused to vibrate at an audio frequency corresponding to the division of the radio frequency impulses into groups. These vibrations will be transmitted to the lever 14 which will thus be caused to vibrate rapidly about the pivot 13. The lower end of the lever 14 has a considerably larger amplitude of vibration than the diaphragm 17, and consequently the blades 18 will be forced apart by the vibra tion of the lever, thus separating the contacts 19 and opening the local circuit.

In order that the contacts 19 may be kept separated during the entire time that the all) diaphragm 1'? is vibrating, it is essential that the blades 18 have a natural frequency of vibration considerably ditl erent from the frequency or the audio frequency electric impulses in the telephone receiver circuit, vhich, oi? course, govern the frequency cit vibration or the diaphragm 17 and lever 14:. Rreferably, the natural :trequency 0t vibra tion of the blades 18 should be about half 18, the lever will push one blade to one side and then the second blade to the other side, and then meet the first blade on its first return vibration and hold it from completing this vibration, and the same thing occurs with the second blade, with the result that the blades and the contacts 19 are etl ectively separated aslong as the lever continues to vibrate.

This relay is simple in construction and yet operates very etliciently and with great freedom from troublesome adjustments. Many changes or alterations might be made in the structure above described without departing from the spirit oi? my invention, and l therefore desire to be limited only by the prior art and the scope or the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a relay of the class described, in combination, a vibratory diaphragm, a pair of flexible, contact carrying members nor mally in mutual engagement, apivoted lever disposed between said members and connected to said. diaphragm so as to strike the members in alternation to keep them separated due to their inertia during vibration of the diaphragm.

2, in a relay oi the class described, in combination, a vibratory diaphragm, a lever pivotally srq ported at one end adjacent said diaphragm and parallel thereto, a connection between the center of said diaphragm and said lever, whereby the amplitude 01" vibration of the free end of said lever is greater than that ol said diaphragm, a pair of tlexible blades positioned with their free ends on either side of the free end of said lever, and

:COIllJiLOtS mounted on said blades and adapt ed to be separated by alternate outward blows or the lever during vibration oi the diaphragm. V

3. In a relay oi the class described, in C0111- bination, a base, a telephone receiver secured a bracket on said base with its diaphragm in vertical position, a downwardly directed bearing surface mounted in front oi said diaphragm, a lever having its upper end pivoted on said surface, an operative connection between said lever and said dia phragm, a pair of flexible blades secured to said base and havin their free ends embracing the tree lower end of said lever, and a contact mounted on each of said blades near the free end thereof and adapted to be separated by alternate outward blows o't the lever during vibration of the diaphragm.

l. in a relay or the class described, in combination, a vibratory diaphragm, a lever pivot-ally supported adjacent said diaphragm, a connection between said dianhra 'm and said lever whereb the amolii m l tude of vibration of the free end of said lever is greater than that of said diaphragm, a pair or flexible blades embracing the free end o'l said lever, said blades having a nut ural frequency of vibration substanti ally less than the normal frequency of vibrationro'f said diaphragm, and a pair of contacts mounted on said blades.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my si gnature,

ADDEl Q} S'lEPHENS GAShER. 

